Château Clinet 2019

Offers the lush, dark, warm fruit profile of the vintage, with crushed plum, blackberry puree and black cherry reduction flavors, all without the toothy, baked hints that mark many of its AOC peers. Glides through with refinement and grace on the finish, which is laced with black tea and incense. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2024 through 2036. 4,125 cases made, 800 cases imported.

A very fine Pomerol with dark, intense, inky black fruit on the palate. Purity and precision are evident here, with acidity and a mineral thread providing freshness to balance the plush, ripe-fruit textures. Clinet continues to be a Right Bank wine that walks the fine line between weight, ripeness, concentration and elegance. Relatively early-drinking in the context of 2019.

A full-bodied Pomerol with dark-fruit, coconut, chocolate and hazelnut character on both the nose and palate. Fine-tannined with an intensely tight and chewy texture. Spice at the end. Very flavorful and muscular, yet it’s balanced and precise with well-toned form. Needs five or six years to resolve. Try after 2027.

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Barrel sample. Purple-black hue. Concentrated cassis aroma, almost like a fruit liqueur. Palate more subdued but the fruit is generous and there’s plenty of zest and drive. Tannins and oak integrated. Clean, long finish. (JL)

The 2019 Clinet is fabulous, just as it was in barrel. A wine of substance and depth, the 2019 has a sense of poise that is so appealing. Crushed flowers, spice, menthol and dried herbs add pretty savory top notes. The 2019 is impeccable from start to finish.

This was already outstanding in barrel, and it’s hard to believe the wine has improved since then. But isn’t that what all great wines are supposed to do? Inky dark in color, the wine is just as deep on the palate, with decadently rich, sensually textured layers of black cherries, blackberries, black plums, and chocolate. The perfume, with its flowers, cocoa, espresso, licorice, and truffle, is off the charts! The finish, with its gentle, salted endnote, lingers for close to 60 seconds as it builds and expands, delivering a fruit-soaked, hedonistic, non-stop thrill ride. Clearly, this is one of the best vintages of Clinet that Ronan Laborde has produced. Fans of the estate should jump on this, because sooner rather than later, prices can only go up from here! Drink from 2030–2055.

The 2019 Château Clinet is brilliant and another classic Pomerol from the talented Ronan Laborde. Deep purple in hue, it offers gorgeous notes of crème de cassis, mulberries, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and damp earth. On the palate, it delivers full-bodied richness, a round, seamless mouthfeel, and beautiful tannins. It brings that rare mix of elegance and sexiness that only Pomerol can. It needed plenty of air to show its best and will benefit from 4–6 more years in bottle, but it’s going to evolve for 20–25 years or more. I love everything about this wine, and it’s clearly in the same ballpark as the 2015, 2016, and 2018. And it remains incredibly well-priced given the quality. Don’t miss it.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: (80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% vol. alcohol, production 49,500 bottles) Velvety, sweet, powerful, sensual bouquet: blueberry jelly, cherries, coconut, pralines, licorice, nougat. Densely woven, velvety, fresh palate with creamy fruit, dense structure, varied, sweet aromatics, very long, aromatic finish with many lingering flavors.

(80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% alc./vol., production 49,500 bottles) Velvety, sweet, powerful, seductive bouquet; blueberry jelly, cherries, coconut, pralines, licorice, nougat. Densely woven, velvety, fresh palate with creamy fruit, dense structure, varied, sweet aromatics, very long, aromatic finish with many lingering flavors. 19/20 2025 - 2050

Cloves, saffron, turmeric; this goes long on spicy cloves and red pepper, with cinnamon and cocoa bean. All this alongside plenty of luscious dark fruits, blackcurrant and bilberry, bringing juiciness and balance. This is well structured, with clear life ahead, currently heavy on spice. 75% new oak. Ronan Laborde owner. Yield of 38 hl/ha.

A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Clinet is deep garnet-purple in color. It gives up notes of cedar and damp soil to begin, soon unfurling to reveal redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and wafts of pencil shavings with a hint of cardamom. The medium to full-bodied palate is firm and chewy, with bright fruit and a savory finish.

A typically Pomerol-like nose of cherry clafoutis and sweets, with a transparent red-fruit profile, complexified by old rose and a tiny refreshing green note. Crystal-clear on the palate, the wine gains in density, tension and energy. With tannins beginning to melt like snow in the sun, it seems built to age, even though it is already delicious.

Highly harmonious, the wine immediately shows its ability to bridge freshness and maturity. Its youthful tannins provide character and highlight its ageing potential, while the acidic structure imparts freshness. A wine that combines power and finesse and offers excellent cellaring potential.

Logo on the cork: A in a circle (Amorim) Dark, intense, and beautiful color. Very aromatic nose—fruity, smooth, pure, and deep. A hint of candied orange when swirled. Precise on the attack, very flavorful mid-palate, with a supple body and plenty of taste—the wine caresses the palate. It carries far on the finish with complex nuances of dark fruits accompanied by a touch of candied orange. It is very good.